


Diamond City

by Taarbas



Series: Surfacers [11]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Fluff, Mostly fluff though, Multi, Pining, Slight Hurt/Comfort, more polyamory discussion, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 15:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6710686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taarbas/pseuds/Taarbas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While running what should have been a simple errand, X6 has a bit of an epiphany over our favorite clockwork detective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diamond City

“Nan-ni shimasho-ka?” X6 gawked at the old Protectron, cocking his brow. 

“What?” 

“Nan-ni shimasho-ka?” X6 shook his head, about to reply when a metal hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

“Takahashi! How’re you doing? Nobody givin’ you trouble, right?” Nick squeezed his shoulder, giving him a small smile before returning his gaze to the bot in question. It responded with the same phrase, which made absolutely no sense to X6, but Nick seemed to understand, carrying on a short conversation while X6 stood by in confusion. The pair seemed to have worked out that Nick had to go, and so with a gently nudge Nick led X6 away, chuckling under his breath as he lit a cigarette. “Sorry about that. Should’ve figured that’d throw you off guard. His name’s Takahashi. Got a few screws loose, can’t really say anything but that. He’s a good bot otherwise,” X6 frowned, beginning to pull at the fingers of his gloves. 

“Why keep him if he’s broken, s-Nick?” After Tracy had got him to stop calling her ma’am, Nick and Hancock had insisted on him dropping the sir as well. It was a work in progress. “It seems counter productive. The Institute would incinerate Coursers if they so much as lost a finger,” Nick shuddered at that, taking a pull off his cigarette and letting the smoke seep out the holes in his face. 

“Not in the Institute anymore, pal. Up here, we treat people with respect, mostly. Even if they are bots,” X6 snorted, knowing full well that wasn’t true. He hadn’t been on the surface anywhere near as long as Nick, but he’d come across his fair share of anti-synth sentiments. Tracy had nearly slit a man’s throat at the last settlement they had checked in on, all over grabbing at X6. Hancock was even worse, more than willing to remove fingers if they so much as got too close. Nick was the only one who could handle himself, calmly talking to the offending party until they got frustrated and left. X6 liked Nick, more than he thought he would. The old detective was patient, and calm, and more than willing to listen to him. “Alright I said mostly, smartass,” He teased, giving a quick gesture towards a shack with a sign that said “Diamond City Surplus”. “Over here now,” X6 followed, watching as a small woman darted about the wares, muttering to herself. Out of habit, X6 went to stand back, let Nick do the talking while he observed, a hand on his rifle. A hand closing around his wrist stopped him in his tracks. “C’mon now. Myrna’s difficult, but she doesn’t bite. Nothing a courser can’t handle,” X6 didn’t comment, instead taking a hesitant step towards the detective. Content that he wasn’t going to bolt, Nick headed up the slight slope, stopping at the beginning of her shop. “Myrna. Lovely day today,” He began, pleasant as always. The woman turned on her heel, eyes narrowing at the sight of Nick before raking over X6 in open hostility. Nick had insisted he lose the courser uniform, at least for now, instead forcing him into a flannel shirt and jeans. He wasn’t sure if he liked them. 

“We don’t serve synths. Especially you, Valentine,” She spit the name, glaring up at the man in question. “And who the hell are you?” Anger burned in X6’s chest, and he took a slight step forward, putting his shoulder between the woman and Nick. Logically, he knew she couldn’t do anything if she tried.

“An associate. We are here to purchase a medicine for our friend,” He replied cooly, “Doctor Sun was out of stock. He informed us to visit you,” Myrna glared for a few beats, looking between the pair. 

“Human or synth?” The question caught X6 off guard, and he blinked in confusion. 

“Our friend is human.” 

“Well that’s great. Are  _ you _ human or synth? Cause we don’t serve synths here. And you seem like a synth.” X6 bit the inside of his cheek, glaring down at the woman. Nick was trying to talk to her, and clearly trying to get past X6. He took another step forward, knowing full well he was invading the woman’s space. To her credit, she didn’t back down. 

“I highly doubt me being human or not has any merit on whether or not my caps are legitimate. We would like to purchase medicine. We have the caps. I fail to see where the issue lies,” She took a step forward of her own, the toes of her boots scuffing against his as she jabbed a finger into his chest. 

“Listen here, synth,” She hissed, “We. Don’t. Serve. Your. Kind. Now buzz off, and take the rust bucket with you,” Nick’s arms looped around his own, pulling it back. 

“C’mon X. Not worth the trouble,” The detective groused, barely managing to lead the courser down the hill and away from the shop. X6 ground his teeth together, glaring back at her as they walked. She didn’t break eye contact. “Mind explaining why you looked ready to punch her? ‘S not like you,” Nick asked as they walked. X6 huffed, shrugging his shoulders as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his borrowed pants. “Highly doubt that’s an answer. Fair enough,” Nick shrugged, seemingly completely at ease with his lack of answer. More importantly, he seemed perfectly okay with what Myrna pulled. 

“Why do you let them do that?” He asked, stopping in his tracks. Nick stopped too, sighing in exasperation. 

“Listen, now isn’t the time. We still gotta do something about the medicine we were supposed to get,” X6 felt the blood drain from his face at the realization. That was their only other option in town. Otherwise, they had to hope for a miracle in the form of a caravan, or travel all the way to Goodneighbor. When they had left, Tracy had been sitting in Nick’s bed, sweat making her hair stick to her forehead and burning with a fever. She kept insisting she was fine, even as her eyes got glazy and her cough got worse. Hancock had ended up sitting on her stomach to keep her laying in bed while Nick and him headed out. They still weren’t even sure where she had picked up the illness. All they knew is that it was bad, but curable. There was medicine. She’d be okay if she took that. If not...X6 wasn’t sure how illness worked, exactly, and he frankly didn’t want to find out. He wanted her safe again. Or as safe as someone could get on the surface. “Hey, X,” Nick’s voice snapped him out of his panic, eyes snapping up to bright yellow optics. “Breathe. She’s gonna be fine. We can ask around, I’m sure someone will get it for us so long as we ask. May cost more though, ah well,” Nick shrugged, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. X6 wasn’t sure how he was so calm. He felt like vomitting, his stomach twisting in knots of anxiety as hundreds of scenarios ran through his head, none of them good. And all because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut arou- 

“X. No,” Nick whispered, the cool metal of his hand resting on his cheek. “Calm down. Tracy will be fine. Everything will be fine. I just need to ask around, and we can get what we need. Relax,” The detective’s voice had dropped, turning into something smooth and soothing. X6 found himself nodding, the knots in his stomach loosening and his hands and jaw unclenching. A breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding left him, and he nodded again, his breathing evening. Nick smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a way that made X6 was to kiss them.  _ Wait no, _ Was his next thought, realization slamming him in the chest as he followed Nick back towards the agency.  _ Fuck _ , he mentally groaned, wondering if it was too late to cut his loses and run far, far away. He wouldn’t have to deal with these kinds of emotions then. 

They took the long way back to the agency, walking in silence. As they passed a trailer, a thought crossed X6’s mind. “Nick?” He asked, and the detective stopped, turning on his heel as his cigarette dangled from his mouth. 

“Yeah X?” X6 turned towards the trailer, staring particularly at the stilts it was perched on.

“Who lives here?” Nick frowned, absently scratching at his head with his metal hand.

“Uh, Travis Miles. The kid who runs the radio. Why? He a synth?” X6 shook his head. 

“Tracy helped him once. I don’t remember how, but she told me one night when she had consumed too much alcohol,” Nick flinched at the mention of their lover’s drinking habits but otherwise nodded. “Could we ask him to buy it for us?” Nick’s optics brightened, lighting up his face. Granted, the huge smile helped. 

“That’s a brilliant idea. X, you’re a genius!” Nick praised, grabbing the coursers arm for a moment before rushing towards the trailer. “Stay here! He doesn’t know you and can be a little skittish!” He called over his shoulder, taking the steps two at a time before heading in. X6 had learned a long time ago that most people didn’t keep their doors locked in Diamond City. Something to do with a wall protecting them. He didn’t understand how they could trust a simple structure so freely. Nick rushed out not five minutes later, an awkward and lanky kid in tow. He was clutching a handful of caps, hastily shoving them in his pockets before running off with only a quick glance at X6. Nick was beaming, his optics bright and cheerful as he came back up to X6. “He’ll be back soon, don’t worry. Travis is a good kid, don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Thanks again. How’d you know?” X6 shrugged, not willing to admit that the radio signals from inside the trailer messed with his chip, making it whine and kill his head. Standing so close was making his vision swim, but he wouldn’t let anyone know, least of all someone like Nick. He wanted to impress the detective, not make him feel sorry for him. 

“I just remember Tracy talking about him, Nick.” Nick nodded, blowing smoke out his mouth. 

“Well, thank heaven one of us has a head on their shoulders,” X6 forced a small smile at the detective’s joke, watching him silently. Now was not the time to imagine talking to him, or kissing him, or anything of the sort, and yet he found himself doing just that. Travis wouldn’t be back for a few minutes, and his mind wandered much more freely lately. He wondered if the detective  _ could _ kiss, what with his destroyed face. Then again, he had seen Tracy and him kiss before, so that was a dumb question. Shaking his head, he settled for scuffing his foot in the dirt, wishing Travis would hurry up. “You okay over there? Awfully quiet, even for you. Somethin’ bothering ya?” X6 froze, wondering how to proceed. He wanted to tell the other man about his attraction very, very badly. But he also knew it was not the time. 

“Maybe…” He admitted, flicking his gaze back to the dirt. “I would prefer to discuss it later,” Nick nodded, telling him to take his time before staring down the alley Travis had run down. X6 was glad he didn’t pry. 

“Mr. Valentine! I got it!” Travis called, rushing over with a paper bag in his head. Nick grinned, thanking him as he opened it and pulled out a small white tin with a red cross taped onto it. It looked like the name was written in permanent marker. It was then he realized that X6 was following Nick. “Uh, who’s that?” He asked, shying away when X6 took a step towards Nick. 

“His name’s X6. Don’t worry, he’s friendly,” Nick chuckled at his own joke, ruffling the kid’s hair. “Thank you again Travis. Here,” He pressed some caps into his hand, closing his fingers around them. “For your trouble. Go back to your show, we’ve kept you long enough,” Travis nodded, head bobbing on his skinny neck as he darted inside, the trailer door shutting with a metal “clack!”. Reaching over, Nick grabbed the other man’s sleeve, dragging him through the back alleys of Diamond City and rushing into the agency. “Tracy? Hancock? You still up there?” He called, tapping the box of pills against his metal hand as he darted towards the back. X6 frowned, watching him go as Ellie casually tidied up some papers. When he went to walk past her, she grabbed his arm. 

“Hey X. Can I talk to you really quick?” He frowned, about to refuse to check on Tracy when he heard Hancock and Nick already bickering about something, Tracy laughing heartily. 

“Very well, ma’am.” He said, and she let go of his arm. 

“Good. It’s about Nick. And you. You and Nick,” She seemed awkward, playing with the tail of her scarf. “I see the way you two watch each other, you know. When you think no one’s looking? I know that look. You...You’re attracted to him. And there’s nothing wrong with that!” She rushed the last sentence, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace. He didn’t understand why she was so worried. He wasn’t that quick to anger. Then again, the girl had supposedly grown up in Goodneighbor. “I just- I just wanted to let you in on a little secret. You and Nick have something in common, and that’s that you can’t take hints. If they aren’t tied to an anvil and whipped at your heads, neither of you are able to pick up on it. So, be blunt,” Here, she patted his arm. “And go look after Tracy, will you? She won’t stay in bed, and Hancock weighs nothing to her. Apparently neither do I.” 

Night fell and found X6 on the roof of the agency, staring up at the stars. Tracy had taken the necessary dosage earlier, quickly finding that it made her incredibly drowsy. She had passed out, and hadn’t woke up since. Not too long ago, Hancock had climbed into bed with her and fallen asleep as well, which left him, the detective, and Ellie. He had come up on the roof to think, hoping to sort through his feelings for Valentine. They had developed quicker than with Tracy, but not by much. However, he was also willing to let him in on the attraction long before he was willing to admit it to Tracy. He chalked it up to her influence. Maybe it was kinship with the detective, he reasoned. After all, they were both synths, and both no longer wanted by the Institute. Well, X6 was technically still wanted, but as soon as anyone learned of his new self, he’d be incinerated. A disturbing thought crossed his mind, and he shivered. Nick had woke up in a trash heap. X6 knew for certain that was no trash heap. It was no secret the Institute didn’t make sure their synths were dead before burning them, and occasionally one would wake up in a pile of bodies. If they were going to wake up though, it was usually just as the fire began to scorch them. Some nights, X6 could swear he could hear screaming.

     “Care for company?” X6 jumped, head whipping around to stare at Nick. He hadn’t heard him come up. “Didn’t think you cared for heights,” He added, taking a seat next to the courser. X6 shook his head.

    “I don’t. But I can see the stars from here,” Nick followed his gaze, digging blindly in his pockets for a cigarette. 

    “Tracy get you in on that? She used to be obsessed, from I heard. Hancock’s just as bad sometimes,” The detective shook his head, dropping his gaze to light his smoke. “Want one?” X6 shook his head again, wondering if he should bring up his current dilemma. A part of him didn’t want to, didn’t want to burden the other man. But another part of him, a steadily growing part, wanted to let him in on the secret. They sat in silence, simply watching the stars. It was uncomfortable, not at all like usual. The air felt heavy and thick, and made X6 squirm. “So uh, nice night out,” Nick tried, sighing and shaking his head as soon as the words left his mouth. “Yeah. Great, smooth. X?” The courser turned to find the other man staring at him, clearly nervous as he rolled his cigarette between metal fingers. “I talked to Ellie earlier. She said you wanted to talk to me?” X6 mentally cursed, vowing to give her a piece of his mind. Later. Now he had to think of a lie. 

    “It has been resolved, si-Nick,” Nick frowned, leveling his “I know you’re lying” stare at him. Reluctantly, X6 sighed, staring down at his scuffed boots. “I have been...thinking of you. S-Nick. It is not an appropriate time, though,” Nick shrugged.

     “We’re on the run from death everyday. You may as well spit it out.” Somehow, the flippantness wasn’t helping. 

     “I believe...I wish…” He frowned, tongue tied up in knots. He didn’t know how to ask, how to tell the other man. “I think-I, Nick. I have been...considering something. The prospect of us. Us together, I mean. With Tracy. Or not. I don’t know,” He admitted, scuffing the heel of his boot on the tin roof. It was a bad habit and he knew it, but he couldn’t stop. A small, breathless chuckle was his response.

     “So that’s what Ellie was talking about. Alright darling, let’s give it a shot. Tracy already gave the okay, though we can talk to her and Hancock in the morning,” Nick’s hand rested on his shoulder, the weight and coolness of the metal familiar and comforting. “Now, how about we go inside before you freeze? Or realize how high up you are?” With a quick nod, X6 gave one last look at the stars. He almost swore they winked at him. 


End file.
